Thursday, January 3, 2013

I heard this is one of those movies where you love it or hate it, no in between. Well the verdict is in, and I fucking loved it. Basically this is an anthology, based on a backstory of some hired burglars assigned to rob a desolate house for a videotape. Of course, there are many tapes in the house, and they need to watch a few of them to determine which is the right one. Each "tape" is led by a different horror director, and all are pretty awesome. Just a quick recap without giving anything away.

The first installment, Amateur Night, is about a group of drunken guys who have one of their buddies wear a pair of glasses with a camera built in so that he can make an amateur porn later on. They bring a couple of girls back to their hotel, but one is a littttleee weird...

Second Honeymoon is about a married couple on a little road trip. They seem to be having a great time, until they encounter a strange girl knocking on their door late at night. Is she just looking for a ride...or more?

Tuesday the 17th follows a group of twenty-somethings as they go on a camping trip. Their guide, Wendy, seems to be acting oddly, often mentioning "accidents" and the fact that they will all die on the trip. Will they survive their walk through the woods?

The Sick Thing That Happened to Emily When She Was Younger takes place on FaceTime, which is a cool twist. Emily calls her boyfriend, and complains that she is hearing strange noises outside her door at night. The whole incident reminds her of something that happened when she was younger. Her boyfriend promises to help her through her fear, but does he have ulterior motives?

10/31/98 is about a group of guys going to a fun Halloween party at a house in the suburbs. When they arrive at the party, they find the house empty, but think that it is just a haunted house that will later turn into a party. But when they make it to the attic, they find more than they were looking for....

I don't get scared too often, and this shit freaked me out. It didn't use too many cheap jump scares, just general creepiness, unique backstories, and some great visuals and effects. It's the first time in a while that I had to turn on something "non scary" before going to bed.

It's hard to pick a favorite installment, but with anthologies, you feel like you always have to. I'd say that "The Sick Thing..." was my fave, closely followed by "Amateur Night." Scream King loved "Second Honeymoon," but he has always been a big Ti West fan. Ignore all the hate about this movie, and definitely check it out. If you love found footage, anthologies, and just general awesomeness, along with a fresh little twist on the genre, you will dig V/H/S.